It was obvious what went wrong with the Gators. The three-quarterback system failed miserably, there were costly turnovers, a failed fake punt, a nonexistent pass rush and cornerback Moses Jenkins getting picked on left and right. The result was a 31-7 drubbing at Florida State that snapped Florida's six-game winning streak in the series and left the Gators with five regular-season losses for the first time since 1988.

GAINESVILLE -- There are no national championship implications. There are no Heisman Trophy candidates. There are no fired or soon-to-be-retired coaches on either sideline.

Without question, the Florida-Florida State series has less intrigue and fewer story lines than it's had in recent years.

The four-loss Gators don't have Tim Tebow and are far removed from championship contention. The three-loss Seminoles are still in the Atlantic Coast Conference title hunt, but have no control over their fate. So what does Saturday's game in Tallahassee mean?

Quarterbacks Ponder, Brantley haven't lived up to gaudy expectations at Florida State, Florida this season

GAINESVILLE — Florida's John Brantley and Florida State's Christian Ponder are getting plenty of support, at least off the field.

Coaches and teammates defend the quarterbacks at every turn. The Gators (7-4) insist their offensive problems aren't Brantley's fault, pointing to dropped passes, poor protection and a slowed running game. The Seminoles (8-3) believe Ponder's drop-off is exaggerated, saying his increased win total is all that matters.

This much is certain: Neither quarterback has lived up to expectations.

JACKSONVILLE — The Jacksonville Jaguars easily could have forgotten about their last game against Cleveland.

It came in the 2009 season finale, with both teams out of postseason hunt. It came on a frozen field in negative wind-chill temperature. It came with several players and coaches who are no longer on the team.

Instead of brushing that 23-17 loss aside, the Jaguars have brought it up repeatedly this week. And with good reason.

GAINESVILLE -- Florida coach Urban Meyer has been reluctant to point fingers at problematic players all season.

On Saturday, he's going to call some guys out publicly. Well, sort of.

It's Senior Day in Gainesville, and Florida's 23-man class -- which Meyer will recognize during a pregame ceremony -- has the distinction of losing three consecutive home games for the first time since 1989.